Nursery World - Actually, it does matter

With the spotlight on protests around the world against racism, educators and the early years sector can be a force for change and make a lasting difference to how children view race, argues Laura Henry-Allain

Laura Henry-Allain: 'This is more than a poster, book or doll. There is a lack of personal and professional development and understanding as to what racism looks like and feels like'

It has been four years since I wrote a piece in Nursery World on diversity.

Over the last two weeks, the spotlight has been on global protests against racism, which were sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.

People across the world have been protesting over George’s killing as well as other deaths at the hands of police officers, and related discriminatory action and racism that the black community faces on a daily basis.

We had #BlackOutTuesday, where many individuals, brands and companies posted blacked-out images and stepped away from social media for a day. This included a range of companies and brands issuing statements of support and how they condemn racism, using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Was this just a PR stunt, jumping on the bandwagon? Or are we finally seeing an overdue step in the right direction? I do hope that it is the latter.

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